Season 6, Episode 52: "The woodpile" (original air date: January 23, 2004)

Anton Devcich admits stealing Curtis Willoughby's (formerly Wham Man) car from outside a party in 1986. The police are now trying to link Anton to the party and the dead man. Despite Ken's important role in the case, he is not CIB - and still has school patrol duty. He discovers that the principal of Bassett Primary school used to live at the party house and is cagey. Anton is feeling less cocky. Dana is perplexed to find that her mother, the upstanding Arlene, was at the surfie party. Arlene's connection establishes the party date - since the next day was Dana's birthday and Arlene was so hung-over she had to cancel Dana's party.

Ken offers this evidence, but finds that he is banned from any involvement in the case since Anton has taken a complaint against him. This is a real blow, and he's torn when the good folk of Bassett keep coming to him with important information. He learns that not only was Anton at the party, but that Stuart the principal had a relationship with Lynda Bracey, then aged 14.

Wanting to bolster Ken, Wendy suggests he speak at an all-important meeting of the Bassett Professional Women's Association. Wendy also takes it upon herself to get Dana to stop bugging Ken. On the night of the meeting, Ken is called to a disturbance at the restaurant, where Anton Devcich won't leave until he sees Kieran. He claims that Kieran is his alibi - he threw him out of the party. Ken finds this hard to believe. Anton, desperate, accuses Ken of prejudice and bias. Ken gets into hot water with DSS Finch for having spoken to the suspect. He then goes home to Wendy, having entirely forgotten the meeting. Angry at her humiliation, Wendy tears into him and Ken lashes out. She is injured, but forgives his violence. But Ken cannot believe what he has been reduced to.

Meanwhile, Nicky and Kieran arrive in Christchurch for her father's funeral. When Valda treats them as honoured guests, it causes bitterness with Nicky's siblings, Fiona and Bridget, who feel Nicky is the favourite. There is also tension over the cause of her father's accident - why he was driving in the first place and why he was found on an outlying road? Nicky and Kieran's attempts to improve things only make matters worse. As family grievances come to the boil, Kieran gets a phone call from the police and Nicky goes with her sisters to pick up personal effects from the wrecked car. As sisterly tension peaks, they make a discovery in the car, which reveals what their father was doing.

Kieran returns early to speak to the police, but denies the claim that he evicted Anton from the party. As he had predicted, Anton is arrested. After all that has happened, Ken's victory now feels hollow.

Family rifts, if not healed, are at least mended and Nicky is grateful for Kieran's support. He suggests they give her family a reason to visit.. He proposes marriage - and she accepts. Happiness at last. Or is he hiding something?